Carrier for radioactive slugs



July 11, I950 GFSTRICKLAND CARRIER FOR RADIOACTIVE swcs 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' Filed Jan. 14, 1949 m Gena/d Sznbk/and I N VEN TOR.

y 1950 e. STRICKLAND 2,514,909

CARRIER FOR RADIOACTIVE SLUGS Filed Jan. 14, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 I n I INVENTOR. Gercr/d SfF/Ck/Qfld BY 5151. f 4 a 2:7 TOEN'V Patented July 11, 1950 CARRIER FOR RADIOACTIVE SLUGS Gerald Strickland, Medford, N. Y., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the United States Atomic Energy Commission Application January 14, 1949, Serial No. 70,963

4 Claims.

. The present invention relates to carriers or transporters for radioactive slugs or cartridges, that is, cartridges or capsules that have been exposed to radiation in a neutronic reactor or the like. Such slug carriers are, of course, con- 'structed of suitable shielding material, such as lead and are therefore relatively heavy and they, of course, must provide for the protection of personnel from radiation during the loading and unloading of the carrier or transporter. That is, the carrier must incorporate fool-proof safety devices for the protection of personnel both during the loading and unloading of the carrier. The present invention is concerned with the provision of a radioactive slug carrier arranged for transporting a plurality of slugs.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a shielded radioactive slug carrier arranged for carrying a plurality of slugs and having mechanical arrangements providing for individual loading and unloading of the slug, as respects the carrier.

"Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple radioactive slug carrier havin located therewithin a rotatable cylinder or magazine having bores for receiving slugs, a stem for rotating the cylinder and means for shielding the access openings to and from the cylinder.

Another object is to provide a device as in the foregoing object wherein one end of the cylinder is shielded by a plug fitting into the carrier body and the said plug having a bore adapted to register with the various bores in the cylinder.

Another object is to provide a device as in the two previous objects wherein a lockin stem is provided which is insertable through the bore in the shielding plu through one of the bores in the cylinder, and through the opening in the carrier through which the slugs are discharged from the cylinder, the locking stem being separable at a point adjacent the end of the rotatable cylinder.

The slug carrier of this invention is shown on the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the carrier. Figure 2 is a front view in section. Figure 3 is a side elevation. Figures 4 and 5 are detail views of the operating mechanism. Figure 6 is a view of an operating handle, and Figures '7, 8, 9 and 10 are detail views of a bayonet joint or coupling utilized in the mechanism.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, primarily Figure 2, the carrier body is indicated at land is generally in the form of a cylindrical lead body having appropriate cavities therein as will be described. The lead body is sheathed or encased in steel as indicated at 2 in order to provide support for the lead and also in order to facilitate decontamination. The carrier has a, steel base flange 3 by which it may be bolted to, a platform while it is being transported. The body of the carrier has lateral carrying or body lifting arms l enabling operators to lift and carry the transporter about. Centrally located within the lead body and coaxial therewith is a cylindrical bore or cavity 5 which is lined with steel, preferably stainless steel. Fitting within the bore 5 is a cylinder 6 which is rotatably mounted, it having a central shaft 1 having an arbor 8 at its lower end journalled in the lead body. The cylinder 6 has a plurality of chambers therein orbores which are ang-ularly spaced around the axis of rotation of the cylinder 6, and these chambers are adapted to receive slugs or cartridges of radioactive material which are to be transported by the carrier and thereafter unloaded therefrom.

The lead body I has therein a bore or channel 9 which provides communication between the central bore or cavity 5 and the lower end of the lead body I. This barrel or bore may have any one of the chambers in the cylinder 6 brought into registry therewith by rotation of the cylinder 5.

At the upper end of the lead body l is a tapered opening or recess H which is of larger diameter than the central bore 5, and which provides communication between the bore 5 and the upper end of the lead body. Numeral l2 designates a closure member in the form of a tapering leadplug shaped to fit into and close the opening H. The plug l2 has a bore or channel l3 extending therethrouhwhich is of the same diameter as the chambers in'the cylinder 6, and, when in position, the plug l2 normally occupies an oriented position as will be described such that the bore or channel It is axially aligned with the bore 9 in the lead body I. The bore I 3 has a cylindrical sleeve M forming a liner therefor which extends slightly above the top of the plug 12 as may be seen on Figure 2. Numeral I5 designates a locking bolt or stem which is insertable in the sleeve it, that is, through the plug l2, and throuh one of the chambers in the cylinder 6 and into or through the bore 5 in lead body I. The purpose of this locking bolt is-to lock the cylinder 6 in position to prevent its rotation and to complete the closure formed by the plug I2. The locking bolt 15 is formed of lead'or is lead filled in order to have the proper shielding properties. Locking bolt I is slightly tapered at its lower end, and due to the taper at the lower end of the bore 9 previously men-- tioned, the locking bolt is prevented from dropping through the bores in which it fits. The locking bolt is in two parts having a coupling or joint which is normally at a position adjacent the bottom' of the plug I2. This coupling or joint is a well known bayonet joint as shown in detail in Figures '7, 8, 9 and 10. The lower end of the upper part of the locking bolt, indicated by numeral It, has two downwardly extending round headed screws or pins as indicated at IT. These screws are adapted to .engage in bayonets slots I8 in the upper end of the lower part of the locking bolt, as designated by numeral I9. These bayonet slots are of the usual configuration of bayonet slots, being arcuate and having circular entrances to the slots as shown, the circular entrances having narrow arcuate openings communicating therewith adapted to engage the shanks of the pins 11 when the upper part I5 of the locking bolt I5 is rotated relative to the lower part I9 after the heads of the pins I1 have been inserted in the circular entrances to the bayonet slots ill.

The locking bolt I5 can be secured in position by means of a transverse bolt 22 which extends through the upper part of the sleeve I3 and through the bolt I5 as may be seen on Figure 1. The lower part I9 of the locking bolt also has a transverse bolt hole 23 therein and during unloading as will'be described, the lower part of the locking bolt may be secured in a lifted position with the bolt 22 extending through the hole 23.

The plug I2 has a central coaxial opening extending therethrough having a sleeve 25 fitted therein forming a housing for a cylinder rotating stem 26. The stem 26 is square at its lower end which is adapted to fit into a square opening in the upper end of the cylinder 6. The upper end of the sleeve 25 has a rectangular opening or window therein as may be seen in Figure 5. The upper part of the stem 26 has holes therein as may be seen in Figure 5. By inserting an operating pin asshown in Figure 6 into :these holes, the operating stem may .be rotated in angular amounts sufilcient to rotate the cylinder 6 so as to bring its various chambers into registry with the bore 5 during unloading operations of the carrier. The holes in the upper part or the stem 26 are. angularly spaced 60 apart .as shown in Figure 4, to provide the proper amount of rotation to bring the chamber in cylinder 6 intoregistry'with'the bore 9.

The plug I2 has lifting arms 21 as shown in Figure 1. The lifting arms 27 normally rest in U-shaped grooves in the body I- so that the top of plug 12 is flush with the top of 'body I. 'The lifting arms 2'! are 180 apart and the plug I2 is oriented for aligning bores I3 and 9 by means of orientation bands 3| painted on one of the arms 21 and on adjacent portions of casing 2. When the carrier is being moved about, the plug I2 is locked in position b means of plug straps 28 which fit over the lifting arms and are secured by strap bolts 29 as shown, which screw into steel inserts 32 inset in the material of lead body, these inserts having triangular extensions (see Figure 3,) driven into the material of body I.

During loading operations the plug I2 is 'removed as is also the operating stem 26 after removal of the stem plug 30 at the upper end of the housing 25; the locking bolt I5 is uncoupled at the bayonet joint, and the upper part I6 of the locking bolt is removed leaving the lower part in position, locking the cylinder 6 against rotation.

During transportation of the carrier the plug I2 is in position and locked therein and the upper part I6 of the locking bolt !5 is in position as is the operating stem 26 and the stem plug 30. During unloading operations, the locking bolt I5 is lifted to its uppermost position with bolt 22 extending through the lower bolt hole 23 in the lower part of the locking bolt. The cylinder 8 may then be rotated by the operating stem to its various angular positions, and the slugs or cartridges allowed to be discharged through the barrel or bore 9.

The embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is representative of a preferred form and it is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the invention by those skilled in the art. All such variations and equivalents are intended to come within :the scope of the claims attached hereto.

I claim:

1. In a container adapted for the transportation of radioactive materials, in combination, a body made of radiation shielding material, said body having a cylindrical cavity spaced from the outside of the body, said cavity having therein a rotatably mounted cylinder having bores or chambers angularly spaced around the axis of rotation and adapted to have cartridges of radioactive material inserted therein, said body having a barrel or bore extending between said central cavity and the outside of one end of the body into registry with which each of said chambers may be brought :by rotation of the said cylinder, a stem for rotating said cylinder, said body ,having an opening at the other end communicating with said cavity, an end plug of radiation shielding material fitting in said opening, said end plug having a bore or channel extending therethrough aligned with the said bore in said body, and a locking bolt insertable through the bore in said end plug, through one of the chambers in said rotatable cylinder, and through the communicating bore in said body for the purpose of locking said cylinder in position.

2. In a container adapted for the transporta tion of radioactive materials, in combination, a body made of radiation shielding material, said body having a cylindrical cavity spaced from the outside of the body, said cavity having therein a rotatably mounted cylinder having bores or chambers angularly spaced aroundthe axis of rotation and adapted to have cartridges of radioactive material inserted therein, said having a barrel or bore extending between said cavity and the outside of one end of the body, a stem for rotating said cylinder, said body having an opening at the other end communicating with said central cavity, an end plug of radiation shielding material fitting in said opening, said end plug having a bore'or channel extending therethrough aligned with the said bore in said body, and is looking bolt insertable through the bore in said end plug, through one of the chambers in said rotatable cylinder, and through the communicate ingborein said body for the purpose of locking said cylinder .in position, said locking bolt in'two detachablyjoined parts and havinga bayonet joint for joining the two parts, the joint between :the two. parts normally be'ingadjacent the bottom of the endplug;

'3. Inga container adapted for the transporta tion of radioactive materials, in combination, a2

body made of radiation shielding material, said body having a cylindrical cavity spaced from the outside of the body, said cavity having therein a rotatably mounted cylinder having a plurality of bores or chambers angularly spaced around the axis of rotation and adapted to have cartridges of radioactive material inserted therein, said body having a barrel or bore extending between said central cavity and the outside of one end of the body into registry with which each of said chambers may be brought by rotation of the said cylinder, a stem for rotating said cylinder, said body having an opening at the other end communicating with said central cavity, an end plug of radiation shielding material fitting in said opening, said end plug having a bore or channel extending therethrough aligned with the bore in said body, anda locking bolt insertable through the end plug, through one on the chambers in said rotatable cylinder, and through the communicating bore in said body for the purpose of locking said cylinder in position, said locking bolt being in two detachably joined parts, the joint between the two parts normally being adjacent the bottom of the end plug.

4. In a container adapted for the transportation of radioactive materials, in combination, a body made of radiation shielding material, said body having a cylindrical cavity spaced from the outside of the body, said cavity having therein a rotatably mounted cylinder having bores or chambers angularly spaced around the axis of rotation and adapted to have cartridges of radioactive material inserted therein, said body having a barrel or bore extending between said central cavity and the outside of the lower end of the body into registry with which each of said chambers may be brought by rotation of the said cylinder, a stem for rotating said cylinder, said body having an opening at its upper end communicating With said cavity, an end plug of radiation shielding material fitting in said Opening, said end plug having a bore or channel extending therethrough aligned with the said bore in said body, a locking bolt insertable through the bore in said end plug, through one of the chambers in said rotatable cylinder, and through the communicating bore in said body for the purpose of locking said cylinder in position, and means for latching said locking bolt in a raised position wherein the bottom of the bolt is adjacent the bottom of the end plug.

GERALD STRICKLAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 545,546 Staub Sept. 3, 1895 901,091 Fritsche Oct. 13, 1908 2,477,648 Piggot et a1 Aug. 2, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 252,758 Italy Apr. 7, 1927 207,672 Germany Mar. 8, 1909 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,514,909 July 11, 1950 GERALD STRIOKLAND t It is hereby certified that error appears in the abov numbered patent requiring correction as follows; H I

1 In the heading to the printed specification, line .6, for Serial N 0.. 70,963 read Serial No. 70,903; I

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the "ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of October, A. D.

"" [surf w v,

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents.

Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,514,909 July 11, 1950 GERALD STRICIQJAND hereby certified that error appears in abov eglumbered patent requiring correction as follows: :ff gilnthe heading to the printedfspecifiation, line fifiqr Serial No. =-f0,963 read Serial No. 70,903; I; and that the said Letters Patent}: 1* d as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the 'sein the. atent Y e. Signed and this 3rd day of oemFr, A. D. "1'30.

[SEAL] THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

